MINIMAL PAIRS

Prepared By:
i. Punnithann a/l Subramaniam
ii. Nur Affandi bin Khiruddin
iii. Ahmad Zuhairi bin Asli

Advisor:
HAJAH ASHIDAH BINTI ASNAN
WHAT ARE MINIMAL PAIRS????
Say the two words in each row. What
difference do you hear between the two
words?

bat pat
bad bat
bid bad
pit bit

Each set of words varies by only one sound. Words with
different meanings that vary by only one sound are called
minimal pairs.

The varying sound can be either a consonant or a vowel.

As these examples show, minimal pairs can be formed
with a sound change either at the beginning, middle or
end of the word.

Sometimes the same sound can be spelled differently in
different words. The SOUND is important, not its spelling.



INITIAL MEDIAL FINAL
1. Ball, tall Babble, battle Cab, cat
/Bl, tl / /bbl, btl/ /kb, kt/
2. Bow, pow Stable, staple lab, lap
/bau, pau/ /stebl stepl/ /lb lp/
3. Deed, need Tidy, tiny Bad, ban
/did, nid/ /tadi, tani/ /bd, bn/
4. Die, lie Tiding, tiling Pad, Pal
/da, la/ /tad, tal/ /Pd, Pl/
5. Pie, tie Topper, totter Hip, hit
/pa, ta/ /tpr, ttr/ /hp, ht/
WORD INITIAL MINIMAL PAIRS

p / b park bark
t / d to do
k / g kill gill
m / n might night
s / z sue zoo

f / v fairy very

th / th thigh thy
ch / j chill Jill
l / r leer rear
w / y wet yet

WORD MEDIAL MINIMAL PAIRS

p / b
rumple rumble
t / d bitter bidder
k / g bicker bigger
m / n simmer sinner singer
s / z racer razor
f / v wafer waiver

ch / j letcher ledger
WORD FINAL MINIMAL PAIRS
p / b cop cob
t / d ought odd
k / g tuck tug
m / n / ng sum sun sung
s / z hiss his
f / v off of
ch / j etch edge
l / r leer rear
leave-live deal-dill fell-fill
cheek-chick seek-sick bean-bin
deep-dip sleep-slip eat-it
greet-grit wheat-whit heat-hit
Examples of Vowel Contrast Pairs
bead-bed speed-sped seed-said
mean-men peat-pet sweet-sweat
steam-stem beast-best beacon-beckon
teen-ten cheek-check feed-fed
OME ON EAD THESE SENTENCES
Please SIT in this SEAT.

These shoes should FIT your FEET.

The STEP is STEEP.

We MET while buying MEAT.

Some MEN are MEAN.

The girl SLID on the SLED.

Read it
Faster
friends
Don't fail to bring the pail to put out
the funeral pyre fire.

The fool must stuff and stop up the pool
with a tough top

The four poor foals are tied to the pole with
a hemp rope.



Pam peers at five fine pines from
the forest floor.

Paul falls far from par when playing golf.

The fluffy puppy is puffy.
MINIMAL PAIRS ACTIVITY
e-u
sounds

Ok Now be READY

Lets START L&G.




BEG

BUG

BEN BUN
DELL DULL
FELL FULL
MANY MONEY
PET PUT
GET

GUT
BET

BUT

PETTY


PUTTY
Well How is it?????

EAGER and CURIOUS to know MORE.

For More Minimal Pairs List

Please visit these websites

http://www.tinyteflteacher.co.uk/teacher/pronunciation/minimal-
pairs-list.html

http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?
article&id=133:mo&catid=9:resources&Itemid=108

REFERENCES
http://www.tinyteflteacher.co.uk/teacher/pronunciation/mi
nimal-pairs-list.html

http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?
article&id=133:mo&catid=9:resources&Itemid=108


http://www.tefl.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2779




Thank You..